Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

Let’s take a closer look at the conversation.
Do you remember how Mathilde asks,
"How’s the weather?"
Quel temps fait-il ?
[BREAKDOWN]
Let’s start with the word temps, meaning "weather." Temps (enunciated). Temps.
In French, all nouns have grammatical gender and are either singular or plural. Temps is masculine and singular — a fact which will determine the form of other words in the sentence.
Before temps is quel. "What." Quel (enunciated). Quel.
Quel is masculine and singular to agree with temps.
Together, it’s Quel temps, "What weather." Quel temps.
Next is fait-il, literally, "makes it," but translates as "is it," in this context. fait-il.
First is fait, translating as "is," in this context. Fait (enunciated). Fait.
Note: fait is from the verb faire, meaning "to do," or "to make," but in this instance, when talking about the weather, it translates as "to be." Faire.
After fait is the subject pronoun, il. Translating as, "It," in this context. Il (clearly enunciated). Il.
Notice the word order when asking a question: verb, "fait," followed by the subject, "il." “fait-il.”
When this inverted word order occurs in French, there must be a hyphen between the verb and the subject, as in fait-il.
All together, it’s Quel temps fait-il? Literally, "what weather makes it?" but translates as, "How's the weather?"
Quel temps fait-il ?
Pronunciation note: notice the rising intonation indicating a question.
Quel temps fait-il ?
Let’s take a closer look at the response.
Do you remember how Karen says,
"It's nice weather?"
Il fait beau.
First is Il. "It." Il (enunciated). Il.
Next is fait. Translating as "Is," in this context. Fait. (enunciated). Fait.
Last is beau, "beautiful," or "nice," as in nice weather. Beau. (enunciated). Beau.
All together, it’s Il fait beau. literally, "It does nice weather," but it translates as "It's nice weather." Il fait beau.
The pattern is
Il fait {weather adjective}.
It is {weather adjective}.
Il fait {weather adjective}.
To use this pattern, simply replace the { adjective } placeholder with a suitable adjective.
In this lesson, you'll learn adjectives related to the weather that you can use with this pattern.
Imagine it's “bad weather,” mauvais. Mauvais (enunciated). Mauvais.
Say
"It's bad weather."
Ready?
Il fait mauvais.
"It's bad weather."
Il fait mauvais.
In French, you can’t use any adjective with the construction, il fait. It’s restricted to a small set of adjectives, such as the adjectives covered in this lesson and some others:
Chaud, “hot,” froid, “cold,” “frais,” cool, lourd, “heavy, sultry,” gris, “grey.”
When talking about the weather, it’s common to use some impersonal verbs in French. Impersonal verbs are verbs without a fully stated subject, and which are conjugated in the third person singular.
For example,"It’s raining" in French is Il pleut.
Il pleut, literally, "It rains," but translates as "It’s raining." Il pleut.
First is il. "It." Il (clearly enunciated). Il.
Next is pleut, "rains," as in "It rains." pleut.
Pleut is from the verb, pleuvoir, "to rain." Pleuvoir.
Together, Il pleut. Literally, “It rains,” but it translates as, "It’s raining." Il pleut.
Pay attention. You’ll see another example of this pattern shortly.

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